Thursday, January 31, 2013

History and research links today…




Women have been warriors throughout history. I didn’t know the story about the Russian teenage girls defending Stalingrad.



Retropundit is reporting “live” on events as they took place in 1913. I love websites like this!



Harvard Law School’s Tale of True Crime exhibit looks fascinating.



Researcher Bill Lucey brings facts and feats about Super Bowls to our attention.



And finally, another look at the potential libraries of the future.

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Surfing what may be the tallest wave ever looks….absolutely terrifying, actually. But congrats for the attempt!




This weekend brings us Candlemas and Imbolc, but also Groundhog Day, which has gotten increasingly complex. You can even join Punxsutawney Phil’s “club” and receive proclamations.



Also going on this weekend: The World Community Film Festival and the 20th annual Miami International Map Fair.



If you’re snowbound, rainbound, flubound, or otherwise housebound, check out the Wiktenauer, which bills itself as “the world's largest collection of Historical European Martial Arts resources.” There’s no lack of reading material here!

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

This week we’re giving away The Doctor and the Rough Rider by Mike Resnick over at the Steampunk Librarian. Go and see!

Monday, January 28, 2013

Arty Monday is go!




Hundreds of William Blake’s etchings are discovered in Manchester.



Spencer Finch’s “366 (Emily Dickinson’s Miraculous Year)” installation is a wondrous thing – click on the “i” button for more details.



The Smart Set examines the color revolution.



Did you know Mikhail Baryshnikov is an art collector?



Did you know karaoke could be considered an art form?



Did you know there’s a new Neighbors video out and it’s great? See below!

Friday, January 25, 2013

Happy Burns Night, everyone!




This week’s installment of Links From Others features Julie, who always sends awesome links. Examples:



--- An Australian library’s prank of reshelving Lance Armstrong’s autobiography in the fiction section goes viral.



-- A huge gamma-ray burst may have hit Earth during the Middle Ages. WHICH CAUSED THE PLAGUE—no, not really. People probably didn’t even notice it, actually. But still, this makes for great sci-fi inspiration.



-- “Storms wash up WWII lard on beach.” Ew.



Have a spiffy weekend! The deadline for entering this week’s book giveaway is Sunday. We’re talking about Sherlock Holmes and, since we have a bunch of entries, this means there will be a video giveaway with puppets. I mean, how can you resist being a part of that?

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Researchy bits today.


What the tale of the non-existent girlfriend says, to news librarians, is that fact-checking has fallen by the wayside.




Jessamyn has posted a comprehensive look at the issue of public domain materials, in light of the death of Aaron Swartz.



Taking the library to the people, around the world!



An American Girl doll has gone on many adventures through being checked out of a library in New York City.



A new Pew report examines internet trends.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Australia Day happens over the weekend, and they’re racing cows to celebrate. I think. There are other events, too, but the Compass Cup cow racing caught my eye, as you might expect. They’re also throwing tuna at each other during Tunarama.




In South Carolina, meanwhile, they’ll be throwing oysters at each other. And dressing like them. And eating them.



In Japan, they’re going to set a hill on fire. It’s true!



And in Manchester, England, it’s time for the National Winter Ales Festival. Cheers.

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

The 2013 Book Giveaway Extravaganza begins! First up: an Advance Reader Copy of The Lazarus Machine by Paul Crilley. Join in the fun!

Friday, January 18, 2013

Happy Friday, everyone!




From Julie: Reviving a whistling language can only lead to good things.



From Cassandra: Darwin was wrong about dating, Notre Dame is wrong (among other adjectives) in its priorities, and a man who stole his dad’s body because he believed the dad might be resurrected was, um, also wrong.



On a chirpier note, here is a video of a chicken invading a soccer pitch.



Also, if you’d like to help the troops overseas, check out Gloves 4 Troops. A lot of soldiers would love a chance to play some baseball while they’re on assignment, and you can help!



Have a spiffy weekend, everyone. Back on Tuesday.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

How does one clean a library properly? Questionable Advice has some historical suggestions.




Libraries in the UK are having a rough time, to put it mildly.



Reading aloud, however, is back in style…for adults. Go figure.



How does one organize 170 billion tweets? Questionable Advice has nothing to offer, and the Library of Congress is trying to figure it out as they go.



In cheerier news, Hank and John Green sold out Carnegie Hall earlier this week, with a guest appearance by Neil Gaiman and some much-needed optimism. Nerdfighters FTW!

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Hey, it’s the birthday of the man who invented the Zamboni, and today’s Google Doodle features a game in which you can drive the Zamboni. I think. Ironically, I can’t see the Doodle, because it’s also my birthday, and Google shows me a cake with a “happy birthday!” message instead of offering me Zamboni-driving goodness. Ha.




Also going on today: a bonfire celebration in Sardinia to honor St. Anthony.



Sad news! The Snow Sculpting competition in Illinois has been canceled due to lack of snow!



However, the Freeze Yer Gizzard Blizzard Run is still on for this weekend in Minnesota.



And over the pond in Blackpool, the Royal Pigeon Racing Association’s show of the year will happen this weekend, too.

Monday, January 14, 2013

Here’s a random assortment of links for a random sort of Monday.




David Maisel has done some beautiful work with x-rays of antique artifacts. Here’s the whole gallery.



Pinball! It’s like vinyl, it’s still around, especially in New York.



“Try Being Me” is an interactive game which shows the world of dyslexia.



Feeling an emotion for which there is no proper English word? Popsci.com has you covered.

Friday, January 11, 2013

Happy Friday, everyone!




From Julie: A landslide in Whitby exposes bones from a graveyard. Talk about goth.



Also from Julie: A research survey discovers interesting historic facts via graffiti on medieval churches. This is the kind of research survey I want to join.



From Cassandra: The unpretty details behind Amazon’s Mechanical Turk, Anonymous exposes a rape coverup, and the Atlantic discusses why sexual harassment victims stay silent.



Also from Cassandra: A Tuscan shipwreck holds historical information on ancient eye treatments.



And lastly, fun with anachronisms in modern film and television, via David Malki!



Have a spiffy weekend, everyone. See you next week.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

“Do we still need libraries?” asks the New York Times of several people. Also from the NYT: Libraries experiment with the bookstore model.




Now you can search Google like it’s 1960! Uh, it takes a while to get results.



Bill Lucey lists the 100 most-searched terms on Lexis in 2012.



Law Libra, authored by a law librarian, talks about the ins and outs of the profession, and recently ran a series examining different search databases and comparing the results when searching each of them. If anyone wants to know what I do all day, here you go!



Mysterious basement decorated with historic paraphernalia is discovered in Portland. Materials in basement are attributed to the Oregonian. The Oregonian investigates further and reveals the basement's true history. Neat, neat stuff.

Wednesday, January 09, 2013

Happy birthday to the London Underground, which turns 150 years old today! I should have known it was a Capricorn.




Elsewhere in the United Kingdom, they’re setting stuff on fire again. The Whittlesea Straw Bear Festival and the Burning of the Clavie are both taking place this weekend.



In Australia, the Cadbury Marathon happens this weekend. Apparently the race ends at the Cadbury factory, and each runner gets free chocolate. Good plan!



Here in America, we’re celebrating Winter Trails Day in the north (free snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in Maine!) and the Battle of New Orleans (reenactment activities in Louisiana).



And finally, off the earthly realms: The Economist examines Hell in depth, with a sidebar from Hell’s Tourist Board.

Tuesday, January 08, 2013

Get ready for a slew of new giveaways, courtesy of Pyr! Below is a list (with links) to the books we have and will be giving in the weeks to come. There may be some additions to the list, too. Check these out and start your imagination gears turning!




Power Under Pressure by Andrew P. Mayer



The Doctor and the Rough Rider by Mike Resnick



The Lazarus Machine by Paul Crilley



A Red Sun Also Rises by Mark Hodder



The Steam Mole by David Freer

Monday, January 07, 2013

One hundred years ago, the Armory Show in New York shocked the art world with works by Marcel Duchamp and others.




Eighty-five years ago, William Faulkner wrote a children’s book (which is a strange concept).



Fifty years ago, the Nobel Prize committee shocked the literature world by giving the award to John Steinbeck.



A year ago, the owner of the Monkey’s Paw in Toronto thought up the Bibliomat as a way to distribute unneeded books.



And now, China is planning to create a music valley out of whole cloth (well, whole grass, really).



Weird world, isn’t it?

Friday, January 04, 2013

Happy Friday! And happy birthday to Bunny, my spooky life partner in crime! For him, here’s a post on how you can feel young, no matter what age you are. Here’s to many more years of dressing up and having adventures!




From Julie: A giant duck has overtaken Sydney. QUAAACK.



Also from Julie: History’s weirdest fad diets!



From Zazoo: “Exciting new developments at the Atlantic Ave tunnel.” There might be a hidden locomotive under the city!



From Cassandra: just one example of the awful no-win situation for many rape victims today.



Have a spiffy weekend, everyone! See you next week.

Thursday, January 03, 2013

Here’s a fun report for people like me who are fascinated by names: a list of names of the first babies born in each state. The names range from traditional to wacky, as you might expect.




The New York Times has a slideshow of favorite book cover designs of 2012.



New websites to follow! Thanks Textbooks (featuring random and strange excerpts and photos) and Letters of Note (featuring…well, just what the title implies).



Hadrian’s Hall, an ancient arts center, has been rediscovered under the streets of Rome.



In more historic news, the Dead Sea Scrolls are now officially online.



And in New York City, the Manhattan Museum of Mathematics (aka MoMath) is open and ready for visitors!

Wednesday, January 02, 2013

Happy New Year! Did you know the South Pole gets moved each New Year’s Day? It’s true!




While poles get moved around in Antarctica, the British are planning another wacky festival. This weekend, it’s the Haxey Hood celebration, which looks extremely convoluted and probably also extremely fun.



In East Harlem, meanwhile, the annual Three Kings Day parade will get underway on Friday.



Back to the UK: the London Underground gets its own stamps!



And back over here: Propnomicon features an Amazon list of spooky goodness as an experiment.